Athletics ‘reluctant’ to trade Brent Rooker, JJ Bleday – NBC Sports Bay Area and California

The Athletics may not be major sellers at the 2024 MLB trade deadline.

To the surprise of many, Oakland seems content to hang on to its high-caliber players rather than offloading them to one of the league’s buyout contenders.

The umpires are telling teams they are “reluctant” to trade two of their most valuable assets in the power of Brent Rooker and JJ Bleday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Saturday.

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Telling teams they’re reluctant to trade Brent Rooker (.948 OPS) or JJ Bleday (30 doubles). With progress and 103.7 mph closer Mason Miller on the shelf, it doesn’t seem like a huge sell for them

– Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 27, 2024

Heyman’s report also backs up what Oakland general manager David Forst told Chris Townsend on Monday’s episode of “A’s Cast” about the team’s approach to the July 30 deadline.

“We’re going to be opportunistic,” Forst told Townsend. “We might do some things. But anyone who expects us to keep moving guys around for prospects is probably going to be disappointed next week because there are guys here that we think are part of the team after this year.”

A’s fans might not rush to buy this given Oakland’s past.

But All-Star defenseman Mason Miller appeared to be off the market — or the most expensive prospect, at least — in the eyes of the A’s and rivals for some time.

Rooker, however, was viewed as one of the most prized bats on the market.

The 29-year-old designated hitter leads the A’s with a .288 batting average, 96 hits, 72 RBIs and 25 home runs — he’s hitting tanks.

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BRENT ROOKER. EQUAL MATCH. pic.twitter.com/m0mKk9qg6r

— A on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) July 27, 2024

Rooker was instrumental, along with right fielder Lawrence Butler, in helping Oakland finish just one month (July) above .500 for the first time in two years.

Bleday, too, has been a reliable bat for the A’s over many seasons.

The center fielder’s 30 doubles clear his .233 average, and his availability as Oakland’s leader in games played this year (104 of 106) is valuable. Bleday, 26, heated up before the deadline, hitting .305 in his last 36 plate appearances.

Heyman’s report and Forst’s claims sing a different tune than A’s fans have been familiar with since the GM took over in 2015.

Since then, Oakland has traded stars like Matt Chapman, Chris Bassitt, Sean Manaea, Matt Olson, Frankie Montas and Sean Murphy, among others.

Whether the A’s will follow through on their reluctance to move their biggest names remains to be seen.

But Rooker, Bleday and especially Miller have proven to be pieces the A’s may want to take to their development experiment in West Sacramento and Las Vegas.

Oakland has developed a reputation for churning out talent over the past decade. So the phones may be ringing loudly on Tuesday despite Heyman’s reports and Forst’s statement.